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López Obrador affirms land used by Sac-Tun now a Natural Protected Area

Riviera Maya, Q.R. — President Andrés Manuel López Obrador affirmed that the declaration of a Protected Natural Area (ANP) of the Sac-Tun land guarantees preservation.

On Wednesday, López Obrador said the jungle area granted to the Sac-Tun subsidiary, formerly Calica of the Vulcan Materials Company, guarantees the preservation of the territory in Playa del Carmen.

As a result of this action by the federal government, more than 50,000 hectares of land have been preserved, which are home to flora and fauna native to the region that was previously overexploited by the U.S. company to transport crushed stone, sand and gravel to that country.

López Obrador said Vulcan Materials transported the material “because it had irregular agreements with governments from the neoliberal period.”

During his morning press conference, López Obrador showed a video of the destruction of the various interconnected ecosystems that coexist in the Mexican Caribbean that has occurred over the last 35 years.

He considered it the largest ecological disaster caused by a foreign company in the Yucatan Peninsula and particularly in the Riviera Maya.

Explosions on the land outside Playa del Carmen. Photo: AMLO video still shot

“There is no expropriation. It is a declaration of a protected natural area because there is no way we are not going to protect our natural resources. Imagine, they take gravel from paradise, one of the most beautiful areas of Mexico and the world, the Caribbean Sea, and it is used as a material bank to transport gravel to build roads in the United States.

“Are there no other material banks in the United States? Don’t they have enough territory there? The United States represents double or triple our territory, so why come here and take advantage of the corruption that prevailed?” he questioned.

He recalled that the federation encouraged dialogue to resolve this controversy, however, Vulcan Materials did not respond to any proposal that involved remedying the environmental damage caused by the concession of more than 2,400 hectares.

The area is now a Natural Protected Area. Photos: AMLO video still shots.

“There is no way we are going to allow them to destroy our territory. In addition, we tried to reach an agreement with them, we offered to buy their share, an appraisal was made and they continued to be arrogant, not understanding that Mexico is an independent, sovereign country,” he said.

“Since we are completely right, we can go to any court. (…) They talk about protecting the environment, avoiding climate change, and look what they do: building material banks to take the gravel to the United States,” he said.